Enlarge imageLONDON (Reuters) - The World Cup rugby final and Formula One world title clash at the weekend have boosted ITV viewing figures, Britain’s biggest commercial broadcaster said on Monday.
The company said its live Formula One world championship coverage on Sunday attracted half the country’s TV audience at its peak a day after it broadcast the rugby World Cup final.
ITV1 viewing figures on the Formula One race in Sao Paulo peaked at 10.6 million, with an average 7.3 million viewers watching the entire live three-hour event.
The broadcaster said the figures made the Brazilian Grand Prix the most watched Formula One motor race since 2000.
Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen secured his first Formula One title by a single point after a victory that ended Briton Lewis Hamilton’s dreams of becoming the youngest champion in his debut season with McLaren. Hamilton finished seventh.
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England’s World Cup final clash against South Africa attracted a peak ITV1 viewing figure of 16 million or 62 percent audience share.
ITV said this made the final, in which England’s World Cup dream was shattered by the 15-6 defeat by South Africa, the most watched television moment so far in 2007.
Shares in ITV were down 0.7 percent at 97.6 pence in afternoon trading at a time when the FTSE 100 index and DJ Stoxx European media index were both down 1 percent.
ITV is scheduled to post its full-year results on March 5, although the company traditionally releases a trading update before the end of the year.
